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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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