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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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