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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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