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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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