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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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