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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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