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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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