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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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