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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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