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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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