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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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