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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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