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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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