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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 ,,,,,,,~/§
$§/~,,,,,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,,,,,~/§$
¤$§/~,,,,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,,,,~/§$¤
#¤$§/~,,,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,,,~/§$¤#
##¤$§/~,,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,,~/§$¤##
###¤$§/~,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,~/§$¤###
##¤$§/~,,, ,,,~/§$¤##
#¤$§/~,,,, §§ ,,,,~/§$¤#
¤$§/~,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,~/§$¤
$§/~,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,~/§$
§/~,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,~/§
/~,,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,,~/
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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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/~,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,~/
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,,,,,,,,,, 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 ,,,,,,,~/§
$§/~,,,,,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,,,,,~/§$
¤$§/~,,,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,,,~/§$¤
#¤$§/~,,,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,,,~/§$¤#
##¤$§/~,,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,,~/§$¤##
###¤$§/~,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,~/§$¤###
##¤$§/~,,, BECOME STILL. ,,,~/§$¤##
#¤$§/~,,,, ,,,,~/§$¤#
¤$§/~,,,,, §§ ,,,,,~/§$¤
$§/~,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,~/§$
§/~,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,~/§
/~,,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,,~/
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~,,,,,,,,, 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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