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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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