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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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