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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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