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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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