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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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