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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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