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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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