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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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