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**** ****
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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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