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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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