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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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