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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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