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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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