$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ the glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« several centuries after it had last «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; belonged to us, we went on an outing to ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* the glass factory that bore our family *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& name. it had changed owners many times &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ since our ancestors death, and then @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ stood abandoned for a long while. @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# finally, the natural end station for #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*&@@## the buildings that survive: a museum, ##@@&*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# and a gift shop. #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ there's a long time since my family @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& made anything. by many, we would be &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* considered poor. *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« there are two main factory buildings, «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, domed things of several floors, made in ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, reminescent of some cathedral. ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« custom-made glass, of course, large and «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* practical. on the eastern building, *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& some are shattered. &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ the other one is publicly open. there's @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# a museum, with wax figures of my great #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*&@@## great great grandfather, or something. ##@@&*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# various tools (or replicas) laid out on #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ glass of varying thickness. @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* $$ *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; $$ $$ ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« ««««««« $ $ ««««««« «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, $$ $$ ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« i quickly sneak out, and climb into the «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; other building. the contrast is ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* overwhelming. it must have stood *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& derelict for a long time, windows &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ broken, metallic trash and pools of @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ dark glass all over the floor. no @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# electric lights, but i can see by the #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*&@@## light that shines in wherever the dark ##@@&*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# windows are missing a pane. #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ however, the greatest difference is the @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& higher floors: this building has none. &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* it is one massive hall, stretching away *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; infinitely above me. somewhere up there ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« is some great iron latticework, from «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, where chains are suspended, and parts ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ of machinery has been falling down. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« there is, in the middle of the great «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; hall, a thin spiral staircase that ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* leads up there. i sneak over there, and *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& take a few reluctant steps. after just &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ a revolution, i notice that for each @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ step the building starts to glow, the @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# bricks turning a dark red, and then #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*&@@## orange, all the piled up debree being ##@@&*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# lit from behind. #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ i stop ready to run down and out, but @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& there's someone else on the staircase &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* with me now, pressed close. he's *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; looking like me, short hair and thin ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« arms, but with ears from some animal, «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, and more disturbingly, completely made ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« $$ «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; $$ $$ ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* ««««««« $ $ ««««««« *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& $$ $$ &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ $$ @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# 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. ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; $$ ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* $$ $$ *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& ««««««« $ $ ««««««« &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ $$ $$ @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ $$ @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*&@@## a large clunk shakes my entire body, ##@@&*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*&@@# and snaps me back into reality. i'm #@@&*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*&@@ back at the factory floor, but the @@&*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ stairs are still moving slightly, @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& clicking in place, carrying me the last &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* few centimeters. i came from below, *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« and i slowly dismount the stairs. «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ shaking and crying, i make my way over ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, the factory floor, wading through dark ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« glass marbles. a quick glance down, and «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«; i see there's something faint inside ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;* them. embryos? are these eggs? *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*& &*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*&@ i shudder, and climb back out. @&*;«,¨¨¨¨
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$