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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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