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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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