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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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