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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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