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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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