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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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