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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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