$$$$$$$$
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$ the glass factory. $
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,,-«^$$&£# 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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