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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. ,,,,,^«/§£
§/«^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^«/§
/«^,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,^«/
«^,,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,,^«
^,,,,,,,,, ««««««« § § ««««««« ,,,,,,,,,^
,,,,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,,,,
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^,,,,,,,,, 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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