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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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