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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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