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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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