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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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