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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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