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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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