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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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