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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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