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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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