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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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