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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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