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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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