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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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