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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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