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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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