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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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