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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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