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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. ~~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~~ 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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