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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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