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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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