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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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