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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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