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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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