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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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