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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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