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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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