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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. ,,,,,,,,~=
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,,,,,,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,,,,,,
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~,,,,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,,,,~=
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&^=~,,,,,, 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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