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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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