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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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