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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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