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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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