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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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