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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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