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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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