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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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