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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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