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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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