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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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