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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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