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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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