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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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