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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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