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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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