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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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