********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-^*
**
** **
* *
** **
**