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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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