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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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