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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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