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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. ......~:†¤
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:~........ 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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