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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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