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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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