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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, $^\~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~\^ BECOME STILL. ^\~,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,~ ^^ ~,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,~ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~\ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M \~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~\^ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ^\~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~\^$ 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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