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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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