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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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