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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. ,,,,~†§*¤#
¤*§†~,,,,, ,,,,,~†§*¤
*§†~,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,~†§*
§†~,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,~†§
*§†~,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,~†§*
¤*§†~,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,~†§*¤
#¤*§†~,,,, §§ ,,,,~†§*¤#
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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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