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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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