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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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