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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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