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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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##@&$%\-~, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, CONSIDERED POOR. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, %% ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, %% %% ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ------- % % ------- ,~-\%$&@##
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#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, %% ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, %% %% ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ------- % % ------- ,~-\%$&@##
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#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, FLOOR. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, BECOME STILL. ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, %% ,,~-\%$&@#
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##@&$%\-~, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,~-\%$&@##
#@&$%\-~,, ,,~-\%$&@#
##@&$%\-~, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,~-\%$&@##
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