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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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