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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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