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† the glass factory. †
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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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