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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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