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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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