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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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