^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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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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