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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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