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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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