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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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