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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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###&$%/~,, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, CONSIDERED POOR. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, %% ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, %% %% ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, %% %% ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, %% ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, %% ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, %% %% ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, %% %% ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, %% ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, FLOOR. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, BECOME STILL. ,,,~/%$&##
###&$%/~,, ,,~/%$&###
##&$%/~,,, %% ,,,~/%$&##
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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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