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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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