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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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