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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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