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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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