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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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