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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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