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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. ......^«/%
@%/«^..... .....^«/%@
#@%/«^.... %% ....^«/%@#
@#@%/«^... %% %% ...^«/%@#@
@@#@%/«^.. ««««««« % % ««««««« ..^«/%@#@@
#@@#@%/«^. %% %% .^«/%@#@@#
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@#@%/«^... ...^«/%@#@
#@%/«^.... 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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