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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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