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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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