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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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