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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. /~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~ ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ %% ^,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,^ 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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