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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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