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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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