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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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