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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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