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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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