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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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