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$ the glass factory. $
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###&*$;=^¨ several centuries after it had last ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ belonged to us, we went on an outing to ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ the glass factory that bore our family ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ name. it had changed owners many times ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ since our ancestors death, and then ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ stood abandoned for a long while. ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ finally, the natural end station for ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ the buildings that survive: a museum, ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ and a gift shop. ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ there's a long time since my family ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ made anything. by many, we would be ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ considered poor. ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ there are two main factory buildings, ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ domed things of several floors, made in ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ reminescent of some cathedral. ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ custom-made glass, of course, large and ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ practical. on the eastern building, ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ some are shattered. ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ the other one is publicly open. there's ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ a museum, with wax figures of my great ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ great great grandfather, or something. ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ glass of varying thickness. ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ $$ ¨^=;$*&###
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###&*$;=^¨ ======= $ $ ======= ¨^=;$*&###
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###&*$;=^¨ $$ ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ 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. ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ $$ ¨^=;$*&###
##&*$;=^¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ ======= $ $ ======= ¨^=;$*&###
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##&*$;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;$*&##
###&*$;=^¨ 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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