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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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