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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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