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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 ,,,,,,,,--
$--,,,,,,, Levers, Claws At My Chainmail Cage, ,,,,,,,--$
¤$--,,,,,, While His Body Is Turning Into Dark ,,,,,,--$¤
#¤$--,,,,, Pearls. Finally, He'S Lost Too Much Of ,,,,,--$¤#
¶#¤$--,,,, Himself And The Scream Is Cut Short. ,,,,--$¤#¶
#¶#¤$--,,, The Last Of Him Rains Down. ,,,--$¤#¶#
##¶#¤$--,, ,,--$¤#¶##
###¶#¤$--, I Still Can'T Reach The Levers From ,--$¤#¶###
##¶#¤$--,, Within My Cage. Looking Up, I Try To ,,--$¤#¶##
#¶#¤$--,,, Make Out The Ceiling, But It'S All A ,,,--$¤#¶#
¶#¤$--,,,, Whirling Sea Of Colours. Below Me Glows ,,,,--$¤#¶
#¤$--,,,,, The Hellfire Of The Factory Walls, But ,,,,,--$¤#
¤$--,,,,,, Very Faint. I Sit Down, Curl Back Up, ,,,,,,--$¤
$--,,,,,,, Become Still. ,,,,,,,--$
--,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,--
-,,,,,,,,, $$ ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ------- $ $ ------- ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, $$ ,,,,,,,,,,
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-,,,,,,,,, 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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