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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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