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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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