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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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