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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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