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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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