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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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