$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ the glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
,,,~=$$££# 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. #££$$=~,,,
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$