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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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