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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. ####*===~¨
¨¨~===*### ###*===~¨¨
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¨~===*#### 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. ####*===~¨
¨¨~===*### ###*===~¨¨
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¨~===*#### 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. ###*===~¨¨
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¨¨~===*### 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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