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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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.:~/%$@@## SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## AND A GIFT SHOP. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## CONSIDERED POOR. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# SOME ARE SHATTERED. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ %% @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# %% %% #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# %% %% #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ %% @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ LIT FROM BEHIND. @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## %% ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# %% %% #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# %% %% #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## %% ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# FLOOR. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# BECOME STILL. #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# %% #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## %% %% ##@@$%/~:.
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...:~/%$@@ %% %% @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# %% #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ##@@$%/~:.
..:~/%$@@# I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE #@@$%/~:..
...:~/%$@@ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? @@$%/~:...
..:~/%$@@# #@@$%/~:..
.:~/%$@@## I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ##@@$%/~:.
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