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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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