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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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