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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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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#&$§†~,,,, ,,,,~†§$&#
@#&$§†~,,, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,,,~†§$&#@
#@#&$§†~,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,~†§$&#@#
##@#&$§†~, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,~†§$&#@##
#@#&$§†~,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,~†§$&#@#
@#&$§†~,,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,,~†§$&#@
#&$§†~,,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,,~†§$&#
&$§†~,,,,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,,,,~†§$&
$§†~,,,,,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,,,,,~†§$
§†~,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,~
†~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~†
§†~,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,~†§
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#@#&$§†~,, ,,~†§$&#@#
##@#&$§†~, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,~†§$&#@##
#@#&$§†~,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,~†§$&#@#
@#&$§†~,,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,,~†§$&#@
#&$§†~,,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,,~†§$&#
&$§†~,,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,,~†§$&
$§†~,,,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,,,~†§$
§†~,,,,,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,,,,,~†§
†~,,,,,,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,,,,,,~†
~,,,,,,,,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,,,,,,,,~
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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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†~,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,~†
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$§†~,,,,,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,,,,,~†§$
&$§†~,,,,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,,,,~†§$&
#&$§†~,,,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,,,~†§$&#
@#&$§†~,,, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,,,~†§$&#@
#@#&$§†~,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,~†§$&#@#
##@#&$§†~, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,~†§$&#@##
#@#&$§†~,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,~†§$&#@#
@#&$§†~,,, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,,,~†§$&#@
#&$§†~,,,, ,,,,~†§$&#
&$§†~,,,,, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,,,,,~†§$&
$§†~,,,,,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,,,,,~†§$
§†~,,,,,,, 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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