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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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