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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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