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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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