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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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