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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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