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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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