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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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