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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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