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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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