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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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