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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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