$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ The Glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
,.=*$&¤@@# Several Centuries After It Had Last #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Belonged To Us, We Went On An Outing To @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# The Glass Factory That Bore Our Family #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Name. It Had Changed Owners Many Times @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Since Our Ancestors Death, And Then #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Stood Abandoned For A Long While. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Finally, The Natural End Station For #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ The Buildings That Survive: A Museum, @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# And A Gift Shop. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# There'S A Long Time Since My Family #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Made Anything. By Many, We Would Be @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Considered Poor. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# There Are Two Main Factory Buildings, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Domed Things Of Several Floors, Made In @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Yellow Brick. Large But Narrow Windows, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Reminescent Of Some Cathedral. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Custom-Made Glass, Of Course, Large And #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ LeadEd, And Ashen. A Bit Too Dark To Be @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Practical. On The Eastern Building, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Some Are Shattered. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ The Other One Is Publicly Open. There'S @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# A Museum, With Wax Figures Of My Great #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Great Great Grandfather, Or Something. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Various Tools (Or Replicas) Laid Out On #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Tables, With Explaining Texts. A Lot Of @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Glass Of Varying Thickness. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# ======= $ $ ======= #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# I Quickly Sneak Out, And Climb Into The #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Other Building. The Contrast Is @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Overwhelming. It Must Have Stood #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Derelict For A Long Time, Windows @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Broken, Metallic Trash And Pools Of #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Dark Glass All Over The Floor. No @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Electric Lights, But I Can See By The #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Light That Shines In Wherever The Dark @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Windows Are Missing A Pane. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# However, The Greatest Difference Is The #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Higher Floors: This Building Has None. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# It Is One Massive Hall, Stretching Away #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Infinitely Above Me. Somewhere Up There @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Is Some Great Iron Latticework, From #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Where Chains Are Suspended, And Parts @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Of Machinery Has Been Falling Down. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# There Is, In The Middle Of The Great #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Hall, A Thin Spiral Staircase That @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Leads Up There. I Sneak Over There, And #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Take A Few Reluctant Steps. After Just @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# A Revolution, I Notice That For Each #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Step The Building Starts To Glow, The @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Bricks Turning A Dark Red, And Then #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Orange, All The Piled Up Debree Being @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Lit From Behind. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# I Stop Ready To Run Down And Out, But #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ There'S Someone Else On The Staircase @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# With Me Now, Pressed Close. He'S #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Looking Like Me, Short Hair And Thin @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Arms, But With Ears From Some Animal, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ And More Disturbingly, Completely Made @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Of Dark Liquid glass. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# ======= $ $ ======= #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# 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. @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ ======= $ $ ======= @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# $$ $$ #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ $$ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ A Large Clunk Shakes My Entire Body, @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# And Snaps Me Back Into Reality. I'M #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Back At The Factory Floor, But The @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Stairs Are Still Moving Slightly, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Clicking In Place, Carrying Me The Last @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Few Centimeters. I Came From Below, #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ Somehow. The Chainmail Is Retracted, @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# And I Slowly Dismount The Stairs. #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Shaking And Crying, I Make My Way Over #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ The Factory Floor, Wading Through Dark @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Glass Marbles. A Quick Glance Down, And #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ I See There'S Something Faint Inside @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# Them. Embryos? Are These Eggs? #@@¤&$*=.,
,,.=*$&¤@@ @@¤&$*=.,,
,.=*$&¤@@# I Shudder, And Climb Back Out. #@@¤&$*=.,
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$