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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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