§§§§§§§§
§§§§ §§§§
§§ §§
§ §
§ §
§ 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. #£&%§;~-,,
§§
§§ §§
§ §
§§ §§
§§