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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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