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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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