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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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