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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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