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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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