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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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