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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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