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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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