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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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