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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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