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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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