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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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