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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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