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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-§
-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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