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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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