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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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