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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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