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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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