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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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