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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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--........ ........--
:--....... 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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