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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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