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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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