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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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