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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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