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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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