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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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