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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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