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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. .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. ..,-:§%§##
###§%§:-,. §§ .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. §§ §§ ..,-:§%§##
###§%§:-,. ------- § § ------- .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. §§ §§ ..,-:§%§##
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##§%§:-,.. ..,-:§%§##
###§%§:-,. 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. ..,-:§%§##
###§%§:-,. .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. §§ ..,-:§%§##
###§%§:-,. §§ §§ .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. ------- § § ------- ..,-:§%§##
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###§%§:-,. .,-:§%§###
##§%§:-,.. 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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