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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. ^.........
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........^= =^........
.......^=\ 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. \=^.......
........^= =^........
.........^ §§ ^.........
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.........^ 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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