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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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