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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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