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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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