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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.-^§
^-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-^
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-^
§^-.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.-^§
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£#¤§^-.¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨.-^§¤#£
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##£#¤§^-.¨ §§ ¨.-^§¤#£##
#£#¤§^-.¨¨ ¨¨.-^§¤#£#
£#¤§^-.¨¨¨ 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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