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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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