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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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