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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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