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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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