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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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