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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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