^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. @@$^^~.¨¨¨
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^