%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
% %
% %
%% %%
%%%% %%%%
%%%%%%%%
###@$%=»^, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, CONSIDERED POOR. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, FLOOR. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, BECOME STILL. ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, %% %% ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, %% ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,^»=%$@###
##@$%=»^,, ,,^»=%$@##
###@$%=»^, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,^»=%$@###
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%