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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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