^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. ,,,,,,,^~=
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^