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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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