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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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