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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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