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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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