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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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