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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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