^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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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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