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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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