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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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