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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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