^^^^^^^^
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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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