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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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