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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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