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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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