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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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