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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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