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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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