^^^^^^^^
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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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