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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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