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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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