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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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