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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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