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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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