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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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