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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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