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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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