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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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