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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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