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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, ,,,,,,.-*§
$§*-.,,,,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,,,,.-*§$
@$§*-.,,,, ,,,,.-*§$@
¶@$§*-.,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,.-*§$@¶
#¶@$§*-.,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,.-*§$@¶#
##¶@$§*-., GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,.-*§$@¶##
#¶@$§*-.,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,.-*§$@¶#
¶@$§*-.,,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,,.-*§$@¶
@$§*-.,,,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,,,.-*§$@
$§*-.,,,,, ,,,,,.-*§$
§*-.,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,.-*§
*-.,,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,,.-*
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-.,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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-.,,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,,.-
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¶@$§*-.,,, ,,,.-*§$@¶
#¶@$§*-.,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,.-*§$@¶#
##¶@$§*-., STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,.-*§$@¶##
#¶@$§*-.,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,.-*§$@¶#
¶@$§*-.,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,.-*§$@¶
@$§*-.,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,.-*§$@
$§*-.,,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,,.-*§$
§*-.,,,,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,,,,.-*§
*-.,,,,,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,,,,,.-*
-.,,,,,,,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,,,,,,,.-
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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,.
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*-.,,,,,,, §§ ,,,,,,,.-*
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¶@$§*-.,,, §§ ,,,.-*§$@¶
#¶@$§*-.,, ,,.-*§$@¶#
##¶@$§*-., A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,.-*§$@¶##
#¶@$§*-.,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,.-*§$@¶#
¶@$§*-.,,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,,.-*§$@¶
@$§*-.,,,, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,,,,.-*§$@
$§*-.,,,,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,,,,.-*§$
§*-.,,,,,, 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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