========
==== ====
== ==
= =
= =
= the glass factory. =
= =
= =
== ==
==== ====
========
..--†=@£@@ 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. @@£@=†--..
==
== ==
= =
== ==
==