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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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