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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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