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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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