§§§§§§§§
§§§§ §§§§
§§ §§
§ §
§ §
§ 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. @#§@§:«:..
§§
§§ §§
§ §
§§ §§
§§