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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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