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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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