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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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