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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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