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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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