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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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