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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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