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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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