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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.                            ,,,,,,,.»*
».,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.»
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,,,,,,,,,,         »»»»»»» =      = »»»»»»»         ,,,,,,,,,,
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».,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.»
*».,,,,,,, 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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