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†††† ††††
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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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