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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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