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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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