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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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