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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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