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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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