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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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