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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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