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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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