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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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