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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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