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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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