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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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