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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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