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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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