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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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