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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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