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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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