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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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