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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^
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£%^~^¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨^~^%£
¶£%^~^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^~^%£¶
@¶£%^~^¨¨¨ 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. ¨^~^%£¶@##
#@¶£%^~^¨¨ ¨¨^~^%£¶@#
@¶£%^~^¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨^~^%£¶@
¶£%^~^¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨^~^%£¶
£%^~^¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨^~^%£
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^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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