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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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