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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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