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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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