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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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