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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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