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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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