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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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