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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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