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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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