^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^