^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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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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