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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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