^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
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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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