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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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