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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. ~,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,~ ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~~ ^^ ^^ ~~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~~= ^^ =~~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~~=% %=~~,,,,,,
,,,,,~~=%¤ 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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