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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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