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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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