^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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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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