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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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