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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. ..~«=§§§##
#§§§=«~... ...~«=§§§#
§§§=«~.... §§ ....~«=§§§
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§=«~...... ««««««« § § ««««««« ......~«=§
=«~....... §§ §§ .......~«=
«~........ §§ ........~«
~......... .........~
.......... 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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