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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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