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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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