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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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