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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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