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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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