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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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