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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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