%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ~-........
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%