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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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