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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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