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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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