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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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