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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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