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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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