%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. @§%^»,¨¨¨¨
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%