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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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