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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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