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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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