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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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*
$*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ lit from behind. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*$
$$*~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~*$$
§$$*~:¨¨¨¨ i stop ready to run down and out, but ¨¨¨¨:~*$$§
@§$$*~:¨¨¨ there's someone else on the staircase ¨¨¨:~*$$§@
#@§$$*~:¨¨ with me now, pressed close. he's ¨¨:~*$$§@#
##@§$$*~:¨ looking like me, short hair and thin ¨:~*$$§@##
#@§$$*~:¨¨ arms, but with ears from some animal, ¨¨:~*$$§@#
@§$$*~:¨¨¨ and more disturbingly, completely made ¨¨¨:~*$$§@
§$$*~:¨¨¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨:~*$$§
$$*~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~*$$
$*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*$
*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ my fear holds me in place while he ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ starts operating levers and dials set ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ it starts spinning, circling upwards. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ it's an elevator! i start to run ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~
*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ downwards, but now the liquid boy ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*
$*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ creature grabs hold of me. i try to ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*$
$$*~:¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨:~*$$
$*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ himself and the scream is cut short. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*$
*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the last of him rains down. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*
~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ i still can't reach the levers from ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ make out the ceiling, but it's all a ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ whirling sea of colours. below me glows ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the hellfire of the factory walls, but ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ become still. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~
*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*
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#@§$$*~:¨¨ ¨¨:~*$$§@#
##@§$$*~:¨ a large clunk shakes my entire body, ¨:~*$$§@##
#@§$$*~:¨¨ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ¨¨:~*$$§@#
@§$$*~:¨¨¨ back at the factory floor, but the ¨¨¨:~*$$§@
§$$*~:¨¨¨¨ stairs are still moving slightly, ¨¨¨¨:~*$$§
$$*~:¨¨¨¨¨ clicking in place, carrying me the last ¨¨¨¨¨:~*$$
$*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ few centimeters. i came from below, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*$
*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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