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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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