††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. ¨¨¨¨¨:«\*@
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††