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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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