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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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