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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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