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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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