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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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