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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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