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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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