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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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