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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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