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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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