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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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