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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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