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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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