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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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