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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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