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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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