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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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