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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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