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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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