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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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