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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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