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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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