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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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