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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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