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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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#@@&$§;~.. SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. AND A GIFT SHOP. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. CONSIDERED POOR. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. §§ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... §§ §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... §§ §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. §§ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. LIT FROM BEHIND. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. §§ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... §§ §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... §§ §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. §§ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... FLOOR. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... BECOME STILL. ...~;§$&@@
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@@&$§;~... §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. §§ §§ ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ~~~~~~~ § § ~~~~~~~ ...~;§$&@@
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@@&$§;~... §§ ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ..~;§$&@@#
@@&$§;~... ...~;§$&@@
#@@&$§;~.. I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ..~;§$&@@#
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