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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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