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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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