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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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