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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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