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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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