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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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