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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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