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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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