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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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