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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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