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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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%
$%*~¨¨¨¨¨¨ Lit From Behind. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%$
§$%*~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~*%$§
@§$%*~¨¨¨¨ I Stop Ready To Run Down And Out, But ¨¨¨¨~*%$§@
#@§$%*~¨¨¨ There'S Someone Else On The Staircase ¨¨¨~*%$§@#
##@§$%*~¨¨ With Me Now, Pressed Close. He'S ¨¨~*%$§@##
###@§$%*~¨ Looking Like Me, Short Hair And Thin ¨~*%$§@###
##@§$%*~¨¨ Arms, But With Ears From Some Animal, ¨¨~*%$§@##
#@§$%*~¨¨¨ And More Disturbingly, Completely Made ¨¨¨~*%$§@#
@§$%*~¨¨¨¨ Of Dark Liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨~*%$§@
§$%*~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~*%$§
$%*~¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%$
%*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%
*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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