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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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