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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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