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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. .....,~†%*
%†~,...... ......,~†%
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%†~,...... %% %% ......,~†%
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§*%†~,.... ....,~†%*§
#§*%†~,... 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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