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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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