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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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