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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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