^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. ##@§^==,¨¨
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^