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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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