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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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