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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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