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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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