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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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