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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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