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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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