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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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