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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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