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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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