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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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