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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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