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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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