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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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