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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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