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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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