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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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