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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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