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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. ..--;§¤&##
###&¤§;--. .--;§¤&###
##&¤§;--.. §§ ..--;§¤&##
#&¤§;--... §§ §§ ...--;§¤&#
&¤§;--.... ------- § § ------- ....--;§¤&
¤§;--..... §§ §§ .....--;§¤
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#&¤§;--... ...--;§¤&#
##&¤§;--.. 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. .--;§¤&###
##&¤§;--.. ..--;§¤&##
#&¤§;--... §§ ...--;§¤&#
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#&¤§;--... §§ ...--;§¤&#
##&¤§;--.. ..--;§¤&##
###&¤§;--. 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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