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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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