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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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