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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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