^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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^ ^
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^ The Glass factory. ^
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^ ^
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^^^^ ^^^^
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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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