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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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¤=/=~,,,,, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, CONSIDERED POOR. ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, == ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, == == ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, ======= = = ======= ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, == == ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, == ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, == ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, == == ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, ======= = = ======= ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, == == ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, == ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, FLOOR. ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, BECOME STILL. ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, == ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, == == ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, ======= = = ======= ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, == == ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, == ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,,,,,,,~=
/=~,,,,,,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,,,,,,~=/
=/=~,,,,,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,,,,,~=/=
¤=/=~,,,,, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,,,,,~=/=¤
#¤=/=~,,,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,,,~=/=¤#
@#¤=/=~,,, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,,,~=/=¤#@
@@#¤=/=~,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,~=/=¤#@@
#@@#¤=/=~, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,~=/=¤#@@#
@@#¤=/=~,, ,,~=/=¤#@@
@#¤=/=~,,, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,,,~=/=¤#@
#¤=/=~,,,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,,,~=/=¤#
¤=/=~,,,,, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,,,,,~=/=¤
=/=~,,,,,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,,,,,~=/=
/=~,,,,,,, THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,,,,,,,~=/
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,,,,,,,,,~
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