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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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