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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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