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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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