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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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