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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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