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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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