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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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