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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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