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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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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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=~,,,,,,,, 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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