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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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