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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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