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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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