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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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