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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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