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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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