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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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