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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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