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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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