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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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