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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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