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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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