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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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