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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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