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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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