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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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