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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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