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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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