%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% The Glass factory. %
% %
% %
%% %%
%%%% %%%%
%%%%%%%%
,~=\%&#@## 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. &%\=~,,,,,
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%