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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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