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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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