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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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