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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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