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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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