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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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