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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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