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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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