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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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