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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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