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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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