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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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