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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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