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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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