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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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