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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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