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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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