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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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