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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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