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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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