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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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