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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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