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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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