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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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