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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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