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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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