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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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