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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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