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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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