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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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