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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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