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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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