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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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