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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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