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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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