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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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