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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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