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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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