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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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