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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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