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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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