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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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