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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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