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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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