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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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