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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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