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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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