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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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