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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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