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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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