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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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