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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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