^^^^^^^^
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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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