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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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