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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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