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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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