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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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