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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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