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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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