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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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