^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. ,,=^%@@@##
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^