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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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