$$$$$$$$
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$ the glass factory. $
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,,,,-»^$$@ 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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