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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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