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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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