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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. ¨¨¨¨¨:~^%£
&£%^~:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:~^%£&
#&£%^~:¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨:~^%£&#
##&£%^~:¨¨ %% %% ¨¨:~^%£&##
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#&£%^~:¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨:~^%£&#
&£%^~:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:~^%£&
£%^~:¨¨¨¨¨ 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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