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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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