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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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