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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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