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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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