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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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