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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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