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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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