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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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