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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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