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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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