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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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