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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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