********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. .....,«=**
**
** **
* *
** **
**