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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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