%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% the glass factory. %
% %
% %
%% %%
%%%% %%%%
%%%%%%%%
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ several centuries after it had last ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ belonged to us, we went on an outing to ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ the glass factory that bore our family ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ name. it had changed owners many times ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ since our ancestors death, and then ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ stood abandoned for a long while. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ finally, the natural end station for ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ the buildings that survive: a museum, ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ and a gift shop. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ there's a long time since my family ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ made anything. by many, we would be ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ considered poor. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ there are two main factory buildings, ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ domed things of several floors, made in ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ reminescent of some cathedral. ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ custom-made glass, of course, large and ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ practical. on the eastern building, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ some are shattered. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ the other one is publicly open. there's ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ a museum, with wax figures of my great ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ great great grandfather, or something. ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ glass of varying thickness. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ ««««««« % % ««««««« ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ %% %% ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ %% ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ other building. the contrast is ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ overwhelming. it must have stood ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ derelict for a long time, windows ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ broken, metallic trash and pools of ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ dark glass all over the floor. no ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ electric lights, but i can see by the ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ light that shines in wherever the dark ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ windows are missing a pane. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ however, the greatest difference is the ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ higher floors: this building has none. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ it is one massive hall, stretching away ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ infinitely above me. somewhere up there ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ is some great iron latticework, from ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ where chains are suspended, and parts ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ of machinery has been falling down. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ there is, in the middle of the great ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ hall, a thin spiral staircase that ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ leads up there. i sneak over there, and ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ take a few reluctant steps. after just ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ a revolution, i notice that for each ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ step the building starts to glow, the ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ bricks turning a dark red, and then ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ orange, all the piled up debree being ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ lit from behind. ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ i stop ready to run down and out, but ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ there's someone else on the staircase ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ with me now, pressed close. he's ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ looking like me, short hair and thin ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ arms, but with ears from some animal, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ and more disturbingly, completely made ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ %% %% ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ ««««««« % % ««««««« ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ %% %% ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ my fear holds me in place while he ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ starts operating levers and dials set ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ it starts spinning, circling upwards. ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ it's an elevator! i start to run ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ downwards, but now the liquid boy ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ creature grabs hold of me. i try to ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ shake him off, but he's too strong, and ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ pulls me back up beside him. ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ this time, i turn angry instead. what ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ the hell? who is this guy, acting like ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ this? i reach out my free arm and slam ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ a random lever. some metal bar is ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ suddenly released between us, hitting ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ him on the arm, forcing my release. i ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ shove him off of me, and he falls into ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ the levers, messing them up. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ curtain is dropped around me. but the ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ elevator also speeds up significantly. ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ curl into a ball. but then, the glass ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ boy screams, a piercing sound that ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ becomes too liquid, his body pooling ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ down in his now massive tail, and the ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ drop that falls toward the factory ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ floor. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ keep his body upright. can't reach the ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ while his body is turning into dark ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ himself and the scream is cut short. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ the last of him rains down. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ i still can't reach the levers from ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ make out the ceiling, but it's all a ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ whirling sea of colours. below me glows ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ the hellfire of the factory walls, but ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ become still. ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ ««««««« % % ««««««« ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ %% %% ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ %% ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ a large clunk shakes my entire body, ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ back at the factory floor, but the ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ stairs are still moving slightly, ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ clicking in place, carrying me the last ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ few centimeters. i came from below, ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ and i slowly dismount the stairs. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
$%*«.¨¨¨¨¨ shaking and crying, i make my way over ¨¨¨¨¨.«*%$
¤$%*«.¨¨¨¨ the factory floor, wading through dark ¨¨¨¨.«*%$¤
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ i see there's something faint inside ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
##£¤$%*«.¨ them. embryos? are these eggs? ¨.«*%$¤£##
#£¤$%*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*%$¤£#
£¤$%*«.¨¨¨ i shudder, and climb back out. ¨¨¨.«*%$¤£
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%