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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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