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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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