********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨:~;*£¤
**
** **
* *
** **
**