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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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