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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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