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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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