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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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