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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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