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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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