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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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