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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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