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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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