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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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