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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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