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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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