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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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