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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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