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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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