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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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