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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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