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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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