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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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