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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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