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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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