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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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