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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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