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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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