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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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