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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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