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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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