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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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