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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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