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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. ,,,,,,,,,^
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~^,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,^~
*~^,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,^~*
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^,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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^,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,^~*%
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@&@%*~^,,, ,,,^~*%@&@
&@%*~^,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, 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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