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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. ,,,,,,,,~/
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,,,,,,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,,,,~
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^/~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~/^
%^/~,,,,,, 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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